


Crush

by gatergirl79



Series: Lets Start This From A Happy Ending [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Danny/Amber, Background Steve/Catherine, Episode Reworking, Episode: s04e19 Ku I Ka Pili Koko (Blood Brothers), First Time, M/M, Revealed Feelings, Season/Series 04, Secret Crush, season 4 coda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-07-29
Packaged: 2018-04-11 21:07:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4452395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gatergirl79/pseuds/gatergirl79
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a fight with Catherine, Steve heads off to see Danny. He doesn't expect anything more from the night but some company, some beer and a game on the TV. He certainly doesn't expect to find himself confessing to his crush. - Nor, Danny's reaction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first actually finished McDanno story. I've got a couple but this one got completed first. I haven't written Steve/Danny before so please, be gentle. This story takes place before, during and after the season 4 episode Blood Brothers. It does contain some episode dialogue but only were necessary to move the scenes along.
> 
> WARNING: Contains Male/Male relationship. Sexual content. Spelling/Grammar mistakes. (Because I'm writing this late at night and am too eager to share to get a Beta) So if you're a grammar Nazi, go no further.
> 
> You still there? Okay, well then I hope you enjoy the story and I'd really love to hear from you.

                                                                              

**Chapter 1**

Steve didn't even really know what he was doing there. No, that was a lie, he knew exactly why he'd gone to Danny's because there was nowhere else he wanted to be. The real question was why he was still there, sat on the porch, a six pack warming at his feet. If Danny wasn't home he could only be one place, out with Amber. - The thought made his gut tighten and he allowed it to show in his face, under the cover of dark. Too tired to hide behind his mask.

He probably should go home, only Catherine was there, doing god knows what. Drowning her sorrows with Kono on his couch, possibly. He could go to Chin, or maybe Grover. - They'd been getting closer the last few months. - Maybe Max. Steve shook his head, no he didn't want any of them he wanted Danny. - Which was precisely why he was here, sat in the dark outside on empty house.

Steve took a deep breath and dragged a hand through his hair. The thing was, Danny was the only person he could talk to, or rather the only person he _wanted_ to talk to. Maybe if Freddy was still alive he'd be turning to him. - Or maybe not, because then there would be question. One's he couldn't answer and Freddy wouldn't just take the facts, he'd want the reasons. Which led him back to Danny, because his partner wouldn't expect reasons, he'd want them no doubt and he'd push for them but he wouldn't expect them, because Danny got him, they got each other.

Steve let his fingers play over the tops of the bottles, humming tunelessly to himself, his eyes locked on the ground as he replayed the events of the night in his head and still came away not knowing how it had spiraled into this.

"Steve?"

He looked up startled. S _uch great awareness of ones surroundings._ He scolded himself sarcastically. He looked up at Danny, taking in his casual appearance: jeans and t-shirt. _Movie and drinks_. His mind provided as he got to his feet and finally acknowledged the woman beside his partner. "Oh, uh hey...damn, sorry you're on a date. I'll just..." he reached for his beer.

"How long have you been sat here?" Danny demanded, his eyes narrow with confusion and concern.

Steve shrugged. "Not long." he sighed, forcing a smile. "Hey, I'm Steve." he held his hand out to the woman, who shook it with an awkward smile.

"Hi. Amber."

Steve nodded, already knowing the woman's name, Danny had been talking about her for weeks.

Danny looked from Steve to the dark house then back to Steve. "Why? What's happened? Shit is...?"

"Everyone's fine." Steve chuckled. Leave it to Danny to think of the worst case scenario, though in his defense with their lives it's always a possibility.

"Then...?" Danny frowned deeper and then exhaled a long sigh, as if reading his mind.

They just stared at one another for a moment before Steve cleared his throat and made to leave, surprised when Danny held up a hand to stop him. Steve watched curiously has his partner guided Amber away from the house, his hand in the small of her back. Steve pinched his lips tight and dropped his gaze, intent on being a shadow. It was late and the street was empty so the voices carried.

"Sorry but he's clearly had a fight with Catherine. If I let him go we may not have an island in the morning. Rain check?"

Amber giggled, smiling warmly down at him. "Sure." she leant in pressing a kiss to his lips. "You're a great friend, Jersey."

"I'll call you a cab just..." Danny turned to Steve who wasn't watching them. He _wasn't_. "Go inside, I'll be in, in a minute." he ordered.

Steve looked a little torn, though secretly he couldn't help but feel overjoyed that Danny was kicking his date to the curb to hang out with him. He turned at the wave to move from Danny. Steve sent the woman a forced apologetic smile before dragging his spare key out of his pocket and letting himself inside. He hadn't let himself in when he'd arrived because he wasn't Danny, he didn't just waltz into people's houses.

He carried the beers into the kitchen and stowed them in the fridge, glad to see Danny had his own, he really didn't fancy warm beer. He grabbed two cool bottles, twisting the caps off and bumped the fridge closed with his hip before heading back into the living area, pointedly _not_ looking outside. He that it was soccer or who was playing, he just needed to fill the silence and distract himself from what was happening outside.

He'd drank his beer and was halfway through Danny's when his partner strolled into the house, having put his date in a cab and sent her on her way.

"You didn't think to get me one?" Danny grumbled, glaring at Steve as he gulped at the Longboard.

Steve lifted it from his lips, waving it at the other man. "Actually I did." he said matter-of-factly, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Danny huffed, grumbling something about " _Typical Neanderthal."_ as he strolled away towards the kitchen.

Smirking to himself Steve called after him. "I'll have another as your up." the slam of the fridge door turned his smirk into a grin and he slumped lower into the couch, the tightness in his muscles finally easing.

A bottle clanked him on the side of the head a few seconds later, Danny coming into view a moment after, taking a seat next to him on the couch. Steve chuckles as he reached for the fresh beer, only to have if pulled out of his reach.

"Hey, hands off, I'm two behind and I need them more than you do right now."

Steve looked at him expectantly.

"I just sent my date home on the first night I've had alone time in weeks."

Steve cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to the empty bottle in his lap. "You could have just told me to get lost. - You _should have_ told me to get lost." he took another breath, fidgeting forward. "I shouldn't have stayed when I realized you weren't here."

"Well you're here now so shut up about it." Danny brushed off, shoving the spear bottle in his hand at Steve.

Steve looked at his partner who was looking at the TV, sipping his beer. Steve slid back into place and made himself comfortable.

_*S &D*_

They didn't speak other than to yell at the team. Steve got up to fetch himself another beer or two, then Danny got up to go take a leak and grab another couple of beers and a bottle of Black Label he'd brought when his dad came to visit. By half time there were bottles scattered on the coffee table and they were both feeling a little buzzed. That's when Danny made his move.

"So what happened? You and Cath have a fight? I didn't think you guys ever had fights." he scoffed.

Steve stiffened slightly. Danny was right, they didn't fight, not really. The only time they really had argued was when he'd found out she'd been helping his mother lie to him. - And maybe that was a problem. They never fought, so they never blew off steam, it just kept bubbling away and then bam, melt down and suddenly things were being said, secrets being spilled and flung around like monkey shit. "We broke up." he said finally. He glanced side ways to find Danny staring at him, dumbfounded. It was a nice look on him and Steve smirked inwardly.

The silence stretched, only broken by the voice on the screen. They were heading into the second half when Danny finally said something. "How can you break up with someone you're not 'dating'?" he wiggled his fingers, his bottle pressed between his thighs.

Steve glared at him hard, the running joke ill timed. He turned back to the TV with a grunted. "Screw you, Danny."

Danny sighed. "I'm sorry." he murmured almost imminently. "What happened? You guys seemed fine yesterday."

"A lot can happen in twenty four hours Danny, you know that." he sighed, sipping at the last of his Longboard before deciding he needed something stronger and reached for the whiskey. "We had a fight, things were said." he shook his head. "She doesn't think I can commit." he grumbled, throwing back the amber liquid.

"Can you?" Danny frowned.

Steve didn't answer, slouching back into the cushions, the empty glass in his hand. He was surprised when Danny didn't push for more but was grateful.

_*S &D*_

It was another ten minutes before Steve finally answered him. "I'm committed to Five-0, to my job. To...to...you. - And the team."

"Not exactly what I meant Steven. - And I'm guessing it's not what Catherine meant either." Danny scoffed, lifting his beer to his lips.

Another long silence followed, more whiskey thrown back, more goals missed on screen.

"She said I don't know how to have a proper relationship." Steve said flatly.

"I'd have to agree." Danny nodded, his gaze locked on the TV.

Steve turned to look at him, brows pinched. "I can't help it if I haven't had the opportunity to have 'normal' relationships." he snapped defensively. "It's not my fault that my life was swallowed up by wanting to protect my country! - It's _not_ my fault that the longest relationship I've had with another living person is _you_."

Danny's head turned quickly to stare at him. "We're...what?" he frowned. "We...our 'friendship' is not the same thing, Steven."

"We've been together four years, Danny. - The only other relationship that comes close was with Freddy and...well, that was different." he muttered. "We didn't see each other all the time." He sighed regretfully.

"You've been with Catherine longer." Danny argued. "You guys were _together_ before you even came back to Hawaii!"

Steve reached for the whiskey again. "We started sleeping together before I came home, maybe but were weren't _together_ , not really. We hook-up, it was sex and favors and that worked because she never expected anything from Me." he rambled, taking slow deep breathes. "Now she does and I can't..." he shook his head, throwing back the whiskey.

"Why?"

Steve sighed down at the empty glass, watching the light from the TV dance off the small droplets at the bottom, his mind buzzing. "I've never met her family." he stated suddenly.

"What?" Danny frowned, staring at him like he'd lost his mind.

"Not once." he sighed absently, as if buying himself time. "We've known each other over five years, we've been...just over a year and not once have I met her parents, her brothers, her cousins...no one." Steve's voice hardened for a second before tampering off. Danny didn't speak but Steve could feel his eyes burning into the side of his face. "I knew you a week Danny, a _week_ and you were introducing me to you daughter. I've met you're mom, dad, Mattie and your nephew, hell I've even met your ex-wife and her husband." he snorted drunkenly.

"I didn't much give you a choice." Danny reminded him.

"Didn't you? I didn't have to go with you to collect your mom, I didn't have to pick your dad up from the airport for you so your mom wouldn't catch on. I could have made you leave your nephew at home, but you know what, I wanted to meet them, I _wanted_ to get to know your family, find out what makes you, you. I wanted that because..." he looked at Danny, who was staring back at him expectantly but Steve didn't finish what he was saying. He couldn't, not with those blue eyes on him. - So instead he gulped down his whiskey.

" _Because_?" Danny pressed softly after a few tense seconds of silence, his tone wary almost, like he didn't want to hear what Steve had to say and honestly Steve don't want to say it. He knew what would happen if he did.

But he'd drunk a lot of beer and he'd mixed it with Black Label, which he _never_ drank. - He hated whiskey. - So when he looked back at Danny's concerned, uncertain face, everything seemed so clear, so crystal clear. All thoughts of consequences and ramifications and how very bad everything was going to be after went flying out the window. For the first time in his life he swallowed his anxiety and faced his fear.

He didn't think he'd moved that fast, not really, but he'd clearly been faster than Danny's brain because the man didn't dodge or weave out of his way when Steve lifted his hand, gripped the back of his partner's neck, while simultaneously leaning into his personal space and catching his lips.

The world stopped, in that second the world actually stopped turning and they were swallowed by silence. Steve skimmed his tongue over Danny's lower lips, sucking on it for a second or two until he finally, _finally_ , realized that his partner wasn't moving, he was solid as stone. Well not completely, there was a subtle tremor running though him that vibrated through Steve's hand and month. Like Danny was fighting to control himself. - And like that Steve was drowning in ice water, yanking himself back violently, his eyes wide with panic.

"Shit! Shit Danny, I'm sorry! I'm _sorry_!" he panted, scrambling to his feet, putting as much distant between them as he could, his heart racing and his hand shaking. "Fuck!" he groaned furiously at himself, turning to pace the space in front of the TV. When he finally found the courage to look at his partner he found the man leaning forward on the couch, throwing back a large glass of whiskey, his features pinched, his face pale. _Shit!_

Steve watched him, panicked. He shouldn't have come here, he should have gone to Chin or Max, or just simply found a hotel and drank himself into a stooper. If he had he wouldn't have just detonated a sixty ton nuke under his friendship. "I'm sorry Danny, I'll go." he placed the glass on the table and moved towards the door.

"Sit down!" Danny ordered in that no-argument tone of his, causing Steve to freeze, swallowing hard. " _Now_."

Steve walked back and sat on the other couch, keeping the distance between them. Nothing was said. Danny switched off the TV, then refilled his glass. He reached for Steve's discarded glass and filled that too, holding it out to his partner. Steve took a slow breath, pushing himself out of his new seat and reaching for the whiskey, being careful not to let their fingers touch. Danny didn't let go of it until Steve retook his original seat beside him and Steve frowned, shifting uncomfortably on the cushions, silence reigning once again, the pair staring into their glasses.

Despite having a reputation among his naval friends for being a 'smooth dog', he really wasn't. He could flirt and charm a girl, easy but when it came to actually liking someone he was no better than an awkward teenager. It was probably because 'smooth dog' was an act, a mask he put on so no one ever knew the truth. - No one but Catherine apparently. She hadn't been fooled, she'd just hoped that with time he'd get over it. Like that was even possible.

"So...you're gay?" Danny asked in a too calm voice.

Steve swallowed hard, his lips pressed tightly together. It was so much more complicated than that. "Danny, I'm..."

"Answer the question Steven. I'm not the damn Navy. I'm asking, you're telling. I have a right to know!" he ranted loudly.

"Yes." Steve sighed. "Partly. - Bisexual, I guess."

"You guess!" Danny snapped, glaring at him.

"It's complicated." Steve sighed, leaning forward to put his glass on the table, untouched.

"And you thought the best way to tell me was to try and stick your tongue down my throat!"

Steve groaned brokenly, his head falling heavily into his hands. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"You never think Steven." Danny countered, calmly. "You just go charging in with no idea what you're walking into."

"I know. I'd take it back if I could. I...I didn't..."

"Didn't what? Mean it?" Danny snapped, almost sounding insulted. No, he _did_ sound insulted.

Steve looked at him intensely. "Yes. No. I...I mean..." He panted, his racing heart stealing his breath. "I mean, I didn't mean to...upset you. I didn't mean to do it, now." he shook his head, frustrated at his inability to explain. "I was reacting, okay. It's what I do, you know that. I get worked up and I react, I've drunk too much and I wasn't thinking."

"So it didn't mean anything?" Danny asked turning to look at him, his eyes searching Steve's face, his voice hopeful.

Steve swallowed and met those eyes, he took a breath before he lied. "No, nothing."

Danny continued to stare at him, for long drawn out seconds, his gaze burrowing deep into Steve, causing him to fidget, doubting his own ability to lie which was ridiculous because he'd been lying for years, hadn't he? He'd been trained to lie.

Danny broke away, turning his head he threw back the large whiskey he'd been cradling then he just sat there, staring into space for what felt to Steve like hours. He got lost waiting for Danny to say something, to yell, to throw a punch. - To quit. - He was so focused on just how badly he'd screwed up that he didn't even react when Danny turned suddenly and grabbed hold of his shirt, yanking him forward. He didn't even flinch at all when Danny's mouth met his in a hard press of lips.

Suddenly he was in Danny's place, frozen with surprise. Only Danny wasn't drawing back at Steve lack of response, he was pressing forward, his tongue prodding at Steve's lips, demanding entry and refusing to retreat. Knowing that seemed to flick a switch in Steve's head and he parted his lips, welcoming his partner inside with a soft whimper.

_*S &D*_

Danny tasted of beer, whiskey and popcorn, Steve noted absently as he tangled his tongue around the other man's. He was surprised by the intensity of Danny's kiss, even more so than the fact that Danny was kissing him. Why was he kissing him? Steve asked himself. Is he trying to make a point? Trying to get his own back in some way? Steve didn't know and frankly with Danny's mouth moving against his and the man's hand warm and solid on his neck, he didn't much care. He'd waited four years for this. He'd convinced himself it would never happen, because Danny was straight. - Wasn't he?

Steve had been contemplating, fantasizing about this since the day Danny pulled a gun on him, shooting him that 'Don't fuck with me' look. It had gone straight to his dick, Steve couldn't deny that. As had the beautiful curve of Danny's ass. He hadn't seen an ass in such desperate need of a flirtatious slap in his life.

Neither could he deny that Danny was the reason he'd taken Jameson up on her offer. At least it had been the most contributing factor. He'd also needed time, with the deaths of Freddy and his father in such close succession he'd planned on taking leave as soon as he'd brought Hesse down. - It had never been his intention to leave the Navy, turn his back on years of training to return to Hawaii, not until he'd set eyes on Danny.

It hadn't mattered that Danny was straight, not really. He wasn't looking for sex, he had sex. - And yeah, that made him sound pretty back, using Catherine like that, but it was a fact. - He'd been looking for...something else and Danny provided that. A deeper connection he'd never felt with anyone. He didn't believe in love at first sight, per se, but...well, if it did exist, he'd fallen in love with his partner that day.

Sure he'd hoped it would lead to this, but he'd never truly expected it, Danny's preferences always seemed so obvious. He'd been fooling himself when he'd made Danny is partner, told himself he didn't want more, that he could be happy with their friendship, and in all honesty he was. He just hadn't realized what it would mean for others. - For Catherine. He hadn't wanted to face the fact that loving Danny was going to tear any other 'relationship' apart.

A wave of guilt flooded through him at just how selfish he'd been, how blind to other people's feelings and he pulled away breathlessly. He didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve to get what he wanted.

Danny frowned, his chest heaving as he fought to regain his breath. "What, now you don't want to?" he said angrily.

Steve swallowed a thick ball of oxygen. "If this is you trying to prove a point Danny, don't. - Just... _don't_." Steve growled. "I've already lost one friend tonight, I can't..."

Danny didn't let him finish, typically, he simply launched himself at Steve once more, his tongue driving deep into Steve's month, his fists curled in the front of Steve's shirt, forcing him back against the couch. Steve instantly gave up fighting and surrendered to the moment, allowing himself to accept what was being offered. Tomorrow they'd deal with the fallout.

Steve grabbed at Danny's shoulder, squeezing and massaging the solid toned muscle beneath the white cotton as their tongues dueled wonderfully. Danny's own hand slowly surrendered their death grip on Steve's shirt, sliding up his broad chest and shoulders to rest either side of Steve's hand, allowing the shorter man to brace himself above Steve.

A broken whimper rumbled out of Steve's throat when Danny pressed his hips down against Steve's groin, his heart shooting into his throat, pounding relentlessly against his vocal cords, igniting a fire throughout Steve's body. He dropped one hand from his partner's shoulder to grope at that ass he'd been quietly fantasizing about for four years. Squeezing it in his palm before using it to pull the shorter man tighter against him, thrusting his own hips up hard, his body singing at the deep moan Danny released into his mouth.

Steve shifted his legs to create more space between them for Danny to fit more comfortable, his other hand clamping down on the man's other ass cheek, his fingers flexing against the smooth orb as they rutted desperate together, kissing all but forgotten. They were doing nothing more now than breathing into each other's mouths, sharing sex charged oxygen.

Then Danny was pulling away and Steve's gut clenched fearfully. Had he finally come to his senses? Had he now realized just what they were doing? Was he going to start yelling and throwing punches, finally?

No, he was leaning back on his knees between Steve's spread thighs, his hands grappling with the hem of Steve's shirt. Yes, it took Steve too many minutes to realize just what was happening, but when he did he was right there. Sitting up he raised his arms so Danny could free him from the dark grey tee, smiling brightly as Danny tossed it haphazardly over his shoulder. Then it was Steve's turn, curling his fingers in the white cotton hem he tore it upwards violently, desperately tossing it over the side of the couch with one hand while the other reached out for Danny, drawing him once more into a deep probing kiss, lowering them both back down onto the couch like a couple of horny teenagers.

Steve took full advantage of having a shirtless Danny he could actually touch, who wouldn't punch him in the face. - At least not this side of dawn. - He skimmed his palms up from Danny's ass over his flanks, where he paused to savor the feel of his ribs expanding, his heart pounding against them. Then he brushed slowly up his partner's back then down his front, loving the feel of his chest hair playing beneath his fingers. Danny groaned, breaking their kiss to gasp in quick much needed breaths. He looked down at Steve with lust blown eyes, more black than blue, his face flushed red as he hovered over Steve, his arms straining beneath his own weight. He didn't say anything and Steve smirked proudly. It seemed he'd _finally_ found a way to shut his partner up.

Whether Danny somehow read his mind or not, Steve didn't know but he suddenly gave a hard thrust of his pelvis. All Steve could do was choke on his pathetic moan of pleasure. In retaliation he reached for Danny's nipple, giving it a twist, his dick hardening further at the noise ripped from Danny's throat.

Snaking his arm around Danny he used all his skills in hand to hand combat to switch their positions, much to Danny's protects. Steve smirked, leaning forward to suck on his neck, marking him in a primal show of possession, before skimming his body down his partner. He spent a few blissful minutes lavishing attention on the man's solid furry chest, his tongue swirling and lapping at his partner's ill-treated nipple, rolling it gently between his teeth till Danny was whimpering and begging for more and less in the same breath.

Satisfied, Steve slipped lower, his fingers working quickly as he popped the button of Danny's jeans, drawing down the zipper over the swell of his crouch and curling them into the waistband, all the while Danny's heavy breathing an erotic soundtrack that told him he wasn't pushing his limits.

His breath hitched as he took in his first real look at little Danno, through maybe little was the wrong word for the guy. Steve dragged his tongue across his dry lips and swallowed, he'd only ever done this once, years ago before he'd left the island and he'd been a teenager, as had his...'friend'. They'd been nowhere close to being fully developed. Then his dad had sent him off to military school and he'd tried so hard not to let his dad down, not to cause him anymore pain or shame, he'd buried those desires, buried them deep beneath layers of regulations and rules, and girls he'd have much preferred to have as friends than lovers.

"You just gonna stare at it all god-damn night? Cause it ain't getting any bigger." Danny snapped, pulling Steve out of his head.

Steve looked up, meeting Danny's impatient dark eyes with a smirk. "I'm not sure it could." he complimented, grinning when Danny rolled his eyes.

"Flattery will get you nowhere Steven."

"You sure about that?" Steve murmured huskily. "So saying it's the most perfect dick I've ever seen isn't going to go right to...oh, look at that, it can get bigger." he chuckled, brushing a finger along the underside, his lips hovering inches from the tip, teasing and taunting until Danny growled for him to...

"Get the fuck on with it!"

It was better than he remembered, a billion times better, no offence to Walker Richards. For a brief moment Steve wondered where the guy was now. Probably married with 2.4 kids, Steve had never fooled himself that their experiment meant anything beyond two horny teenagers, alone in the showers pushing boundaries. Which was part of the reason why this was better, shower gel left a horrid after taste.

Steve groaned as he felt a pull on his hair and looked up through his lashes to see Danny's unimpressed face looking down at him.

"Am I boring you?"

Instead of reply, Steve plunged his mouth down further, thankful for basic SEAL training when the head hit the back of his throat, cutting off his air supply. He did the best he could without any real experience, he mirrored what he'd seen in the tacky DVD's he'd brought occasionally so his search history wouldn't get flagged, as well as what he knew _he_ like and somehow it seemed to be working. At least it sounded like it was.

He may be got carried away listening to the sounds Danny was making with the heady scent of musk playing at his nose and the heavy salty taste on his tongue, because he didn't really notice Danny's hand pushing at his head until the man clobbered him hard enough to shock and sting. He lifted his head with a scowl, wiping saliva off his chin with the back of his hand. "What?" he growled huskily.

"Not on the couch, my daughter sits on this couch!" Danny scolded, pushing himself to his feet.

Steve got to his own, that ball of nervous fear that kept expecting Danny to stop this tightening in his gut again. His partner didn't look at him, he simply held his pants together and headed down the hall to the bedroom.

"If you don't get your ass in here in the next ten seconds Steven..." he didn't finish the threat, he didn't have to.

Steve rushed down the narrow corridor and into Danny's room to find the man waiting expectantly on the bed, his jeans and underwear tossed in the corner. His breath caught in his throat at the sight and he swallowed convulsively, his tongue still painted with Danny sharp flavor.

Danny cleared his throat. "Don't tell me you've change your mind?"

Steve shook his head slowly, his heart pounding painfully against his ribs. "No! No, just...are you sure, Danny?" he asked softly. "I could leave now and we could forget any of this ever happened." he lied, because there was no way he was forgetting this. Ever. If it ended this second or at dawn he'd hold on to those wondrous few minutes for a lifetime.

Danny skimmed to the edge of the bed and got to his feet, moving to step into Steve's personal space, his hands rough on Steve's hips as he locked their gazes, a silent conversation passing between them, a plan of attack they both agreed to. That was all Steve needed to know at that moment, so he bowed forward and captured his partner's lips, his hands curving over the bare back as Danny cradled his head with both hands, kissing leisurely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly I'm still having trouble writing McDanno sex, so I'm ending here, you'll have to use your own imagination as to what happened from here on, though I can tell you that in this story Steve is a bottom!


	2. Chapter 2

Steve woke slowly, surrounded by warmth. The first thing that caught his attention as his brain slowly came back online was the lack of sunlight in his eyes, swiftly followed the realization the bed he was laying on wasn't his own. Steve rubbed his face against the pillow and stretched out his lower back, moaning softly at the ache that spread along his spine, his ass clenched as the ache intensive causing his breath to hitch. That was when the memories of the previous night came back to him.

Twisting around in the bed, with a wince, Steve looking across the small expanse of mattress at Danny, sleeping peacefully, his hair a tangled mess. He looked so much younger without the stress and worries of their lives. Steve swallowed thickly, still bemused.

This hadn't been what he'd planned when he'd arrived, he'd just wanted company, wanted to forget about his fight and subsequent break-up with Catherine. He'd wanted to drink beer and watch a game and pretend she hadn't dragged his deepest darkest secret into the light in a moment of hurt and frustration. He hadn't planned on kissing Danny. He never planned to ever kiss Danny, and yet he had. - And Danny, much to his surprise his partner had kissed him back. Steve's body warmed at the memory of Danny's kiss, the taste of his mouth. He could feel himself growing hard and had to fight the desire to shift closer to his partner and try to awaken a similar response from him. But it was dawn, the magic was dead and now reality and consequences lay ahead of them, Danny may have been willing last night but that was a lifetime ago now. Now Danny would do what Steve had expected him to do last night, get angry and reject him.

So instead of moving closer to his partner's enticing body, Steve shifted away, slipping out of the covers. He wasn't sure what exactly he was planning to do, he didn't think Danny would appreciate him skipped out, whether he regretted their encounter or not. Steve decided his best option was to get dressed, making coffee and wait for the inevitable.

Steve scanned the floor for his underwear and cargo pants, his boots and socks, gathering them to his chest he turned to leave the room.

"You sneaking out on me?" Danny asked suddenly, his voice lazy and rough.

Steve turned to look at his partner, his breath catching at the sight of Danny lounging in the bed, a satisfied smirk pulling at the corners of his eyes and mouth, his arm behind his head, against the pillow. Steve's dick gave another interested twitch and his own lips curved naturally. "No, Danny, I was going to use the head."

Danny's brow raised as he eyed the pile in his partner's arms. "With your clothes?"

Steve looked down at the bundle of leather and fabric. "I was going to get dressed and make breakfast." he shrugged nonchalantly.

Danny grinned. "Breakfast in bed?"

"No." Steve scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Breakfast can wait." he murmured seductively, that smile still on his face as his eyes darkened, meeting Steve's.

Steve's heart leapt into his throat, just as it had the previous night when Danny had kissed him. He hadn't expected this. He'd prepared himself for nuclear fallout, not even imagining Danny wanting... _more_. He stared at the blonde's expectant face and let the clothes fall from his arms as he headed back to the bed, crawling up from the end to hover over his partner, their lips brushing in a closed mouth kiss. Danny's tongue playing over Steve's lips until he pulled away reluctantly. "Head." Steve informed him.

"I'm not going to complain." Danny chuckled.

Steve rolled his eyes. "I _meant_ , I need the head. I wasn't lying." he pulled away swearing silently to himself for the need to empty his bladder. Danny grumbled pretty much the something as he grouchily let Steve go. "Don't move." he ordered, aiming a finger at the man.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Hurry the hell up."

Steve grinned, strolled casually into the en-suite.

He relieved himself as quickly as he could, his mind still struggling to take in everything that had and would happen. Danny's reaction the most surprising of all, making him re-evaluated everything he thought he knew about his partner.

Washing his hands Steve let his gaze skim the counter, taking in the array of Danny's toiletries. He reached for the toothpaste and squeezed a pea sized blob on his finger then ran it around the inside of his mouth, rinsing and spitting. He wiped his mouth on the towel and headed back out into the bedroom, Danny was stretched out, watching him, his eyes heavy and dark. Steve inhaled sharply, his gaze moving to take in every inch of his partner's naked sun-kissed flesh, his throat going dry at the anticipation of what was to come.

"Now where you going?" Danny demanded as Steve made for the bedroom door rather than the bed.

"To grab some water, I think we'll be needing it." He grinned over his shoulder. "Brush your teeth." He ordered, vanishing from Danny's sight.

He could hear Danny grumbling behind him as slipped from the room, buck naked and made his way through the house to the kitchen, smiling happily to himself. He pushed through the door and marched over to the fridge, yanking it open and sighing as the cool air brushed his warm flesh while he reached for the large bottle of orange juice, opening it and lifting it to his lips, his eyes closing as he chugged the sweetness. He heard a door open and smiled against the plastic rim, lowering it and letting the door fall closed as he turned and practically jumped out of his skin, the bottle dropping out of his hand to crash into the floor tiles as he dropped his hands quickly to over his manhood. His eyes wide with horror, he cleared his throat. "Huh...hey Gracie" he smiled awkwardly.

Grace looked up at him, her brows high and her eyes almost as big as Steve's. She didn't return the greeting. Steve opened his mouth again to speak only to have himself cut off by Danny busting into the kitchen with his weapon drawn, a towel thankfully wrapped around his waist.

"Grace?" Danny frowned, as if uncertain he was seeing his daughter. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be with your mom."

Grace tore her large brown eyes from Steve, of which he was very grateful, to look at her father. "Her flight changed, she had to leave early."

Danny bit his lips for a second, holding back the curse. "You should have called me. You've got to let me know if something changes."

"I _tried_ to last night, it kept going to voicemail." Grace insisted softly, her eyes flickering back to Steve who'd strategically placed himself behind the kitchen island.

Steve looked at Danny, who looked back at him, the both of them awkward and uncertain as to what exactly they were meant to say.

"Huh..." Danny stammered, ripping is gaze from the naked SEAL to look at his confused twelve year old, her knowing eyes making him want to sink into the ground. "Steve dropped by to..." he glanced back at Steve desperately.

"Crash on the couch." Steve quickly finished. "Uh...cockroaches. Had to clear out for the exterminator." he forced a smile.

"Yeah, Uncle Steve has cockroaches so...he slept on the _couch_. Naked." Danny repeated, nodding overzealously. "Like the anima he is. So...uh... _school_. We need to get you to school."

Grace remained blank faced as she looked between them, silent. Clearing his throat, again, Steve spoke in a low grumble. "I should...get dressed and head back to my place. - Check on those... _cockroaches_."

Danny didn't even look at him, his eyes fixed on his daughter, his hand tightening around the towel at his waist. "Yeah. Good idea." he nodded.

"Uh, Danno?" he nodded to Grace meaningfully when his partner looked at him.

"Right. _Right_!" Danny rushed forward, slamming his hand gently over his daughter's innocent young eyes.

As Steve headed out of the kitchen door he looked back at Danny apologetically before sprinting back to the bedroom. He dressed quickly, his heart still racing and that ball of tension back in his gut as he perched on the end of the bed pulling on his socks and boots. He was tying the knot when Danny appeared in the doorway clutching his shirt.

"You'll be needing this."

Steve looked up, flushed, his fingers continuing to work his laces. "Thanks."

Danny tossed it at him before folding his arms over his own bare chest.

"Where's Gracie?" Steve asked, dragging the shirt down his torso, getting to his feet.

"Watching TV."

Steve let his hands fall away from his shirt to hang pointlessly at his side. "So..." he trailed off, unclear what to say.

"You going to be okay? Going home?" Danny asked quietly, his eyes never leaving Steve's face, his shoulder pressed to the door jam. "With the _cockroaches_." he smirked sadly.

Steve sighed, rubbing at his neck. "Yeah. I have to face them sometime, right?"

Danny licked at his lips, glancing almost cautiously over his shoulder. "Do you...want me to pick you up? When I've dropped Grace off."

"Yeah." Steve said breathlessly. "That would be...good." that tension in his chest easing.

Danny nodded. "Okay."

"Okay." Steve smiled awkwardly, walking towards the door. He paused beside Danny, looking down at his partner, torn. He wanted to kiss him, every natural primal instinct he had wanted to kiss him and by the heady look in Danny's gaze he wanted it too, but something stopped him, held him at bay. Instead he smiled goofily and squeezed Danny's naked shoulder. "Okay."

He left Danny unkissed standing on the bedroom threshold and rushed through the house. He'd never felt quite so light headed before nor so free. He paused when he reached the couch, leaning casually over the back to press a kiss to Grace's head. "See ya later, Gracie."

She tilted her head back to look up at him with a beaming smile. "Bye Uncle Steve."

__McDanno__

Steve wasn't sure what he'd expected when he arrived back at the house, in all honesty he hadn't really been thinking about it, he'd had more...entertaining things on his mind on the drive back. It really wasn't until he climbed out of his truck and found himself face to face with Catherine's classic sports car that she'd entered his thought process.

He paused on the front porch for a long few seconds preparing to face his ex-girlfriend, then taking a deep breath he pushed the door open. The living room was empty but there was sound coming from the back of the house which told him that someone was in the kitchen, so he made his way back. Catherine was sat at the kitchen table, coffee in her hand and a half eaten bowl of fruit in front of her. She looked better than Steve expected, better than she'd look in weeks if he were honest. She looked up, meeting his gaze. She didn't smile warmly like he was used to, but she didn't scowl at him either, she was just kinda blank.

"You're back." she said flatly.

Steve rolled his shoulders and walked casually over to pour himself a coffee. "Yeah."

"You were at Danny's." Catherine stated matter-of-factly, her eyes burning into his back.

"Yes." he replied with equal calm, his eyes never leaving the view out the window. He heard Catherine inhale behind him and winced at the sadness of it. He sipped at the coffee not really tasting it as they both fell into an uncomfortable silence that felt like it lasted forever.

The scrap of the kitchen chair against the floor had Steve turning to watch Catherine gather her dish and carry it to the sink beside him. He kept his eyes half on her as she leant heavily on the side, her gaze locked on the ocean. Usually they'd be out there by now, swimming, together.

"So that's it?" she whispered. "We're done."

Steve sighed sadly, frowning down into his coffee mug. "I think last night was..." he took a breath. "Yeah." he looked up, catching her watery brown eyes. "I tried, I just...I'm sorry Cath, I can't give you what you want from me, I tried but it's not in me - I never meant to hurt you, I swear." he pressed insistently, the thought of Catherine thinking he'd done it all on purpose painful. "I can't help who I am, Cath. - Or who I..." he swallowed, pushing the words back, she didn't need to hear them, she already knew. She didn't need him rubbing salt into the wound.

"I know." she murmured begrudgingly.

They were silent for a few minutes, the only sound their breathing. Steve stared down at his hand, his long fingers curled around the mug. His mind couldn't help but conjure up the memory of where they'd been not twelve hours ago. He could almost feel the silken slide of Danny's dick on the pads of his fingers as his hand had curled around him. He shook his head, forcing the memory away. He couldn't think about that with Catherine stood silently beside him. "Where do we go from here?" Steve asked softly.

"I don't know." Cath sighed. "I guess I could make some calls, see if anyone's hiring. Maybe restart Billy's..." she trailed off at the mention of her dead ex. He'd been another weapon used last night, one Steve wasn't proud of.

"You don't have to leave, Cath. Five-O still needs you."

Catherine looked up at him with wide disbelieving eyes, burning with a mix of anger and misery. "You can't honestly expect me to keep working with you?"

Steve straightened his shoulders. "Why not? We're both adults and it's not like you haven't worked with an ex before." he winced as the words left his mouth, so much for not bringing up Billy.

Catherine glare furiously at him. "That was different Steve, we hadn't been together for years, and we were both over one another."

Steve couldn't stop the scoffed laugh escaping his lips. "Yeah." he grumbled. They both knew that wasn't true, even if Catherine didn't want to voice it.

"And you think I want to work with..." she swallowed hard. " _Him_. It was bad enough when I thought it was just some silly...crush." she glared. "You expect me to just sit back and watch you two be..." shaking her head vigorously and moved away from the counter and Steve.

"What? I..." he wanted to lie to her, wanted to say there was nothing going on but...

"It's written all over your face." Catherine snapped. " _And_ your neck." she hissed.

Steve's hand flew to his neck, cringing at the memory of Danny's mouth bruising his throat as they'd... "Cath..."

"I don't want..." she shook her head, her hand up silencing him. "Just don't Steve."

Steve moved his hand and dragged his fingers through his hair instead.

"It's not like I didn't know where you'd go." Catherine murmured after a few minutes silence. "I'm moving into a hotel, I've already booked a room."

Steve wanted to say she could stay until she found somewhere more permanent but he knew it would only make things harder for both of them, so he just nodded, leaning back against the counter, setting his untouched coffee aside.

Silence settled between them again, neither speaking nor moving, then finally Catherine took a deep breath and walked out. Steve didn't follow, nor did he try to stop her. He listened to her move around the house, gathering her belongs together. It wasn't long till he heard the front door open and reluctantly he pushed himself away from the kitchen counter and went to see her off.

He entered the living room to watch Catherine standing almost uncertainly in the doorway with her duffle bag and a suitcase. She looked over at him and his gut tightened at the pain he saw in her eyes, but it was too late now, he couldn't change things, he didn't want to.

"So...I'll be..."

Steve nodded, his lips a pale line.

She swallowed thickly, the sunlight highlighting the tear tracks on her cheeks and with another deep breath she turned taking that first step over the threshold.

"Cath?"

"I know Steve." she sighed warily, her fingers white knuckling the bag strap. "Bye."

"Bye Catherine." he whispered brokenly as he watched her pull the door closed behind her.

Alone, Steve swiveled on his heels and headed out onto the beach, suddenly desperately needing the ocean. He needed to get lost in the enormity and the silence. He didn't think about what he was going to tell the team or what Catherine was going to do now. He didn't even think about Danny, he just let the cool ocean wash over his skin, his mind pleasantly blank.

__McDanno__

Steve was met by the wonderful sight of Danny as he made his way out of the water. He shook off the lingering ocean and smiled brightly at his partner. "Hey. How's Grace?" he chuckled, feeling the weighted he'd gone into the water with slip away.

Danny narrowed his gaze at him. "My daughter's been scarred for life and you think it's funny?" he accused.

Steve dragged his hand through his wet hair. "No. Which is why I'm asking if she's alright."

"She seems fine enough." Danny shrugged. "She didn't say anything at all on the way to school, she just kept shooting me _looks_."

"She's probably just in shock Danno, she'll be fine. Gracie's a smart and open minded kid."

"I'm aware of that, which is why I'm concerned. She didn't by that cockroach excuse for a second and now I'm going to have to talk to her about stuff I _never_ planned on talking about."

"It's the twenty first century babe, I'm pretty sure she already know about..."

Danny glared, his finger raising to point at Steve's face. "No, Steve she does not. My little girl is innocent to the ways of the world."

Steve couldn't help but scoff, strolling past the shorter man on his way back to the house. "She had a baby brother, I'm pretty sure Rachel has already explained the ways of the world." he snorted.

"Maybe when it comes to where babies come from." Danny snapped, quickly following his partner. "In general family friendly ways, but not..."

Steve looked down at his friend, brow raised expectantly as they paused on the threshold of the house. "Not what?"

"Not...her father and Uncle Steve ways."

Steve smiled softly, chuckling as he continued on into the house, his discarded clothes in his arms for the second time that morning. He headed for the kitchen, then through to the laundry room, tossing the clothes on the washer and grabbing a towel to dry off.

"This isn't funny Steve." Danny said, following him all the way through the house. "What am I meant to tell her? Huh?" he snapped, his hands flying about anxiously.

"I guess it depends." he murmured, dragging the towel over his hair.

"On?" Danny pressed.

"On, what happens from here." he replied calmly.

Danny fell silent, his gaze instantly falling to Steve's tiled floor, his hands sliding into his pant pockets. "I don't know." he practically whispered.

Steve took a slow steady breath as he watched Danny's forehead crumple. "There's no rush Danny." he said gently, hoping to make it clear that he would wait for whatever decision his partner made. - Praying the whole time that it wouldn't be to walk away.

"I just...need time to get my head around all this."

"Then you take the time." Steve insisted, leaning forward to squeeze Danny's shoulder, the man looking up at him.

"The last thing I need is for Gracie to get attached Steve. When Gaby took off, it really upset her and I don't want to put her through that again."

"I hate to break it to you Danno but we're already attached." he smiled. "And _I'm_ not going anywhere. Whatever you decided happens or doesn't happen between us, I'm not going to take off." he promised intensely. "I love Gracie, I don't want to hurt her any more than you do."

They stood in the small room, eyes fixed on one another, the air crackling around them. Steve wanted to lean forward, he wanted to capture Danny's lips and finish what they'd started that morning. To remind him how good it had been, but he'd just promised the man time to think and breathe and that was what he was going to give him, so instead he smiled warmly and stepped past him. "I'm gonna take a shower, make yourself at home."

"Don't I always." Danny grumbled breathlessly.

Steve smiled at him brightly and exited the laundry room, then the kitchen. He didn't even make it to the stairs when his phone rang, he glanced down at the screen and inwardly groaned as he hit accept and raised it to his ear, kissing goodbye to a peaceful day. "McGarrett." he looked back to see Danny watching him. "Yeah." he nodded, then hung up without some much as a goodbye. "We got to go."

"You gonna dress first or you planning on working in your soggy underwear?" Danny smirked.

"Would you mind?" Steve asked huskily, unable to stop himself. His gaze heavy as he turned to fully face his partner.

"Yes Steven, I'd mind." Danny snapped. "My job is hard enough as it is without the added pressure of keeping you from catching hyperthermia. - Besides, I don't need the distraction."

Steve let out a belly laugh, turning to continue up the stairs. "It's Hawai'i Danno, I'd catch sunstroke first."

"And then I'd have to stop Max from helping you reach all those hard to reach places." Danny countered, his voice low and filled with meaning.

Steve's breath hitched and his dick twitched at the thought of Danny helping him apply lotion, his rough calloused fingers spreading it in all kinds of fun places.

"Earth to McGarrett!" Danny snapped his fingers. "You can get back to whatever dirty thoughts after we've protected the island from stupid criminals. Shower, now."

Steve shook himself out of his stooper and took off up the stairs for his 3 minute shower.

It was almost 7 minutes later when he reappeared fully dressed and ready for action. Danny was sat on the couch watching the news, a mug of coffee in one hand and a slice of toast in the other, he looked up with a smirk. "That was a long 3 minutes."

Steve shrugged, reaching down to snag the keys off the coffee table before heading for the door.

"Where we going?" Danny asked, switching the TV off and following quickly after him.

"Halawa, someone what's to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the chapter's so short.
> 
> This whole story came from the desire to write Grace walking in on Steve instead of Amber. I love Gracie's face in the episode, for me it's as if she's looking at Amber and thinking, 'Wait, you're not Uncle Steve.' Always makes me smile.
> 
> Yeah Steve is a little low on self-esteem in this, mostly out of fear more than anything. Having spent most of his life in a homophobic environment like the Navy, he's never quite been at ease with his own feelings and desires, and he's naturally terrified of the consequence if he gives into them. He doesn't want to lose his friendship with Danny at the cost of a one night stand, and having spent the past three years thinking Danny's 100% straight, that's his biggest fear right now. He kinda just waiting for the other shoe to drop and after re-watching Stakeout, I'm even more convinced that while Steve is Mr.-gung-ho when it comes to shooting a gun and kicking ass, he's still that teenager boy scare of feeling vulnerable, hence his reluctantly to face his feelings for Danny.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now comes the hard part, carrying the story though the episode. This chapter has a ton of episode dialogue, which I don't own but do apologize for, I just need it to knit the scenes of my story together.

There was a loud ringing in his ear, so loud it felt like his head had imploded. He couldn't breathe either, the weight on his chest holding his ribs captive and there was something scratching at his throat and sinuses. Steve tried to open his eyes only they felt as if they were glued together. It took him a couple of attempts but finally he succeed.

His vision blurred and his eyes stung forcing him to blink repetitively, when he could finally see again, barely, he realized where he was, what had happened. The ringing and pounding in his head receded so he could think. He looked down at his chest and the rubble, his hand reaching for his flashlight. Clicking its base the small area filled with a dull light, enough to make out the chaos around him, the large blocks of concrete and cement, metal beams exposed. Gritting his teeth against the ache in his head and ribs, Steve pushed the debris off his chest, inhaling deeply only to cough up the oxygen his lungs so desperately needed as dust once again filled his nose and throat. Finally he got to his feet and blinked, looking around.

His eyes focused in the dark and he scanned the rubble. To his shame it took him too long to remember he hadn't been alone. "Danny!" he yelled, searched the chaos around him. "Danny!" his heart leapt into his throat when he caught sight of a body under a few slabs of concrete. Walking forward reluctantly yet quickly, he exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't his partner but the guy they'd found tried to a chair seconds before the world crumbled around them. Checking the guys pulse, he let his eyes wonder. "Danny! _Danny_!" the man was dead and Steve sent up a prayer that his partner wasn't too.

It seemed God was looking down on him as a choking cough and pained groan broke the deafening silence. " _Danny_!" he yelled again, scrambling away from the dead body, his heart racing. " _Danny_!"

"Steve?"

"Danny." He exhaled, relief flooding him once more as he grabbed his partner's hand squeezing in tight. "Hey. I got you babe, right here." Tears burned Steve's eyes as he looked down at Danny's dust covered face, pinched with pain. Giving the hand another squeeze he dropped it, placing the flashlight between his teeth and braced his feet to lift the debris.

It felt like it took him forever to clear Danny's chest, through that was probably down to the fear he'd forced back behind the thick wall he'd built during his years of service.

"My leg's jammed." Danny groaned. "And I think I broke a rib."

Steve looked at the huge block of concrete resting across Danny's leg, it didn't look good at all, but he forced that fear further back, as he gripped one end and tried to lift, straining against its stubborn weight but it wouldn't move.

"Where's the other guy, huh?" Danny asked, probably to distract himself from the pain.

Steve let go of the slab and removed the flashlight from between his teeth. He reached for his partner's hand again, needing the contact, needing to known he was really there, alive, unlike the man a few feet away. "He's dead." Automatically his thumb rubbed at Danny's. "Listen, it's too heavy, I can't lift it. We've got no cell service down here, so I can't call for help."

"Okay."

"I'm gonna go get something to help me lift it, I'll be right back." He made to release the other man's hand.

"What, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Danny pleaded, tightening his fingers around Steve's. "Don't go just yet." He panted, turning his head.

"Danny relax. It's gonna be okay." Steve reassured.

"It's not gonna be okay, uh, and given my present condition that's not a situation for me, you know what I mean."

Steve inhaled slowly, closing his eyes briefly. How could he forget? "Right. Right, claustrophobia."

"Yeah." Danny groaned, wincing.

"Okay." Steve looked down intensely. "Take a deep breath."

"Nah, that's no good, it makes it worse."

"Danny, I've got to get this off your leg." Steve insisted.

"Alright." Danny took a shallow breath. "Okay, Carter's behind the plate, we've got Santana….Santana…."

"Hey?" Steve frowned. _Please don't say he's hallucinating. God, please_.

"Santana's playing first, Backer's playing second base."

"What are you doing?" Steve asked fearfully, concerned for his friends metal state.

"It helps me relax. If I recite the '86 Mets line up." Danny laughed. "It helps me relax."

"That's good, that's good." Steve grinned, laughing softly. "No, that's good, relax alright." He ordered, reluctantly releasing his partner's dirt covered trembling hand and getting up from is crouched position.

__McDanno__

It took Steve close to forty minutes to get Danny free of his concrete prison, though what he'd originally thought was a rescue soon turned into a stomach churning battle field procedure as he was forced to remove an iron rod imbedded in Danny's side. It wasn't the first time Steve had been forced to remove shrapnel from a friend, but it felt like it. His hand shook as he'd gripped the metal and pulled it free of the soft, bloody body he'd been pressed up against only a few short hours ago. Danny's cry of agony, Steve knew, would stay with him forever. But he was alive and that was all that mattered.

As Steve secured the last of the tape to Danny's flesh, praying it would hold, he breathed out, realizing he'd barely taken a breath the last few minutes, his chest heaved as it fought to refill itself.

"How'm I looking?" Danny asked equally breathless.

Steve looked from the bandaged wound to Danny, smiling brightly down at the man. "Pretty good." He'd seen worse.

Danny moaned as he relaxed against the rubble and Steve reached out to clasp his hand to the side of his partner's neck reassuringly, Danny turning his head back to meet his gaze, his own hand reaching out for Steve's.

"Come on, help me up."

Reluctantly Steve removed his hand and helped the man to his feet, smiling. Thankful Danny was fit enough to want to move. There had been a moment, briefly, back when he'd first seen the blood coating Danny's shirt when his world had almost ended, when all he could see was another dead friend. – No, worse than another dead friend, a dead lover.

"Don't worry about it, let's just get the hell out of here. Come on." Danny insisted, as if reading Steve mind, turning away even as Steve hung onto him just a few seconds longer.

Eventually though Steve let his hand slip from his partner's wrist, though it was not because he wanted to but because Danny was scrabbling away from him. "Hold up."

"Huh, which way?" Danny asked, scanning the scene for an exit.

Steve looked at him regretfully. "We're not going anywhere buddy, the place has caved in, we can't get out of here." The words were like acid on his tongue, burning and blistering.

Danny rolled his head angrily from side to side. "Do me a favor would you please?"

"Of course." Steve nodded. "Whatever you need."

"Look me in the eye and admit something to me, we _should not_ have listened to Decker, hum?"

"You want to do that _now_?" Steve snapped. "It was a lead we had to follow Danny, okay. – And by the way, your welcome for saving your life." _Something's never change_. Steve thought as his partner glowered at him. Apparently having sex didn't mean Danny was going to stop bitching at him every chance he got. – And surprisingly, Steve was okay with that. Thankful even. It meant that whatever happened or wouldn't happen, their friendship was safe.

Steve snatched a piece of deformed piping off the floor angrily, though not really, and trust it at Danny.

"What's that, a souvenir?"

"Yeah, it's a souvenir." Replied warily, rolling his eyes as he snatched another piece of metal for himself. "Rescue team would have arrived already, they'll be listening in, find something to bang on, make some noise." He ordered, pulling his arm back to swing at a fallen air duct.

__McDanno__

Steve's head was pounding behind his eyes and the click of metal on metal wasn't helping, but he didn't stop, they needed to get the attention of the rescue crew or they'd be found too late. He couldn't help but glance over at Danny, watching as he weakly swung his pipe, his features pinched with pain. Steve really needed them to get out of here soon, he wasn't sure how long the duct-tape would hold and he didn't want Danny bleeding to death. Not now.

"This is pointless, they can't hear us." Danny snapped, tossing his pipe aside and stumbling to take a seat on the pile of debris.

Steve watched him as he continued to bang out an alert. It was hard to believe that only a few hours ago Danny had been lying next to him, relaxed and calm. Steve's tongue slid across his lips at the memory of the kiss they'd share, before everything got complicated again. – Before the world literally crashed down around them. He swung a little too hard at the vent, frustrated.

"Whoa! Whoa!"

Steve spun, panic sending his heart into his throat. "What!" his gaze scanning Danny's body fearfully for signs of fresh blood.

"Can I die in piece, please?" Danny replied angrily, glaring murderously over at him.

The mere idea of Danny dying shot a pain through Steve's chest, just as it always had, from the second he'd seen Danny pale fighting for air as he slumped next to a suspect's house, to the bomb that threatened to wipe him off the face of the planet. It always caused his heart to implode and his chest to collapse like the building around them. In the past he'd had to fight tooth and nail not to confess every secret emotion, as if it were his only chance, but now, here he was finally in a position to say what was on his mind and in his heart, tell Danny just what he meant to him, how he'd die before letting Danny go. – The words however were lodged painfully in his throat.

Taking a deep breath Steve cleared his throat. "You're tired and you're hurting. Just take a break alright." He hit at the vent, angry at his own inability to voice his feelings.

"Hey, do me a favor alright, for once in your life pretend you're a human being and take the situation for what it is, can you do that?" Danny snapped his voice harsh.

"I'm keenly aware of the situation." Steve relied sharply.

"Oh, really? Because the _human_ response to certain death and the prospect of not seeing the people you love again is to curl up into the fetal position and make a mess in your pants."

"And what good is that going to do?" Steve argued, turning furiously to face him. "Fear is a state of mind, Danny. You've got to fight through it!" _Hypocrite_. His mind scolded. He'd been allowing fear to dictate his life for decades.

"No, I think fear is actually a friend." Danny argued forcefully. "It tells you when you're supposed to avoid a situation, but you never listen to it that is why we are here in the first place."

"That would be a compelling argument my friend, if you weren't afraid of absolutely _everything_!" Steve countered petulantly, refusing to back down, to show that maybe he was just as terrified right now as Danny.

The arguing, as always, was more out of frustration and fear then actual anger. It was a distraction technique, _especially_ for Danny. – Though in Danny's case it was more of a default setting. – It was natural for them to argue over almost everything. It felt right, relaxing. Calming. It was so different to the way he was with Catherine. Sometimes it was more stressful, not sweat the small stuff. Sometimes the small stuff stopped the big stuff taking root. He hated to think how his and Danny's relationship may have played out over the past four years if they'd been _civil_ to one another from day one. – He had a feeling they wouldn't be here now, one or the other would be somewhere else.

"This morning…" Steve carried on, glaring at the other man. "You had a near mental breakdown because Grace found me is your kitchen."

"Naked Steve! You were _naked_ in my kitchen."

"It doesn't matter what the situation is for you, you gravitate to the worst possible outcome!" Steve continued, ignoring Danny's valid point, because arguing felt good right now.

"Once again I was right, we should never have walked into this situation blind in the first place!"

The last word was barely off Danny's tongue before he was coughing violently, choking on air. Instantly Steve rushed toward him, dropping to his knees in front of the man and grabbing the sides of his neck with both hands, hating the way his skin felt hot and clammy beneath his palms. "You alright?"

Danny met his gaze with watery eyes, his chest heaving and his hand pressed to his side. "No, I'm not alright." He grumbled angrily.

"Listen alright, I'm sorry okay. Just please relax." Steve begged, his hands squeezing lightly at his partner's neck, his thumbs absently stroking the coarseness of his jaw.

Danny licked at his lips and forced another broken breath into his lungs, squeezing Steve's wrists reassuringly for a moment before moving to get to his feet with his partner's help. He nodded up at Steve when he refused to let go of his arm. "I'm good." He croaked.

Steve kept his hands on Danny for a moment or two before finally releasing him." "I'm sorry alright." He apologized again, watching as Danny moved over to the dead body a few feet away. "The airs thin in here, we need to conserve this oxygen." He murmured reaching for his pipe once more and taking a swing at the vent, his eyes never leaving Danny as he patted down the body.

"Is that your way of telling me to shut up?" Danny huffed, his hands moving over the dead man.

"Maybe." Steve smirked.

Steve was grateful that Danny's frustrated anger seemed to have faded, replaced by the less loud distraction of work. They calmly discussed the case, Danny posing questions while Steve gave theories, all the while still trying to alert the search parties above them. He almost jumped out of his skin when the loud high pitched cry of his cell phone broke the calm of the moment, his eyes meeting Danny's hopeful gaze. He practically ripped the cell out of his pocket, his heart leaping at the name flashing on the ID. "It's Catherine." He murmured confused, looking at Danny again and not failing to notice the way he stiffened at the mention of the woman.

"So, answer it, for God's sake!" Danny ordered.

"Right!" Steve nodded, hitting the screen hard and lifting it to his ear. "Catherine?" he greeted, his eyes never leaving Danny, as his partner avoided them.

" _Are you guys alright?"_ she asked without a moment's hesitation, her tone genuinely concerned.

Steve swallowed. "Yeah, Danny's a little banged up but we're alright? – Where are you?"

" _At the scene. I… Kono called, I came straight away."_

Steve took a deep breath. "Thanks. – Anyone else get out?" Switching to speaker.

" _Everyone's present and accounted for but you two stranglers, we've got the cavalry working to get you out."_ Grover's voice interrupted.

Steve moved to sit beside Danny, his back relaxing against the man's arm as he finally let the stress and fear he'd been fighting to hold at bay seep out of him.

"Great. We got an ETA on that?" Danny asked over his shoulder. "I'm literally being held together with duct-tape."

" _Yeah, we're working on it. We need to know your exact location."_ Catherine replied, professionally.

"Yeah, we're in the maintenance room, south side of the garage." Steve informed her tiredly.

" _How's the oxygen?"_ Grover asked.

"It's running low." Steve sigh, looking regretfully at Danny. "Is there anything we can do from this end to speed things up?"

" _Just hang tight. Listen that entire area is unstable."_ Grover informed firmly. _"You go moving something you're not supposed to, the whole thing could come crashing down."_

"Huh, that's encouraging." Danny bitched.

Steve looked at his partner again with a small drained smile, his left hand reaching for the man's knee.

" _Steve, what happened? Kono said you were right behind them?"_

"Where's Kono?"

" _She and Chin are still getting checked out. They should be back soon."_

Steve and Danny both exhaled relieved breathes. "You think you could establish a video call, I want to show you something."

" _Okay?"_

Steve hung up and took a breath, looking at Danny once again. "See."

Danny narrowed his eyes, opening his mouth to share some scolding remarks only to be cut off when the cell began to ring again. Steve didn't hesitate, hitting the screen he smiled tightly into the camera, Danny leaning once again over his shoulder. There was a moment of intensity as they looked at Catherine's worried and slightly hurt face, knowing she could see the both of them. Together. Reminding her what she'd always known.

" _You said you wanted to show us something?"_ Grover interrupted, his eyes flickering between them for a moment.

Steve straightened, clearing his throat. They had more important thing to think about right now. "Yeah, take a look at this." He turned the cell to show them the body. "Cath, you capture that?" he asked, switching into his professional persona.

" _Got it. I'll run these photos through the database and see if I can get an ID."_

"Look for any connection to Jason Decker and his crew." Steve ordered. "I want to know how this guy got down here." She may have quit, but until he put the paper work through she was still Five-0.

" _Roger that."_ Catherine nodded, ending the call without so much as be safe.

"Well that was nice and awkward." Danny huffed, leaning into Steve.

"Yeah." He exhaled. "Where are those pills?"

"Why?"

"Now we have a signal I'm gonna send a picture to Max, see if he can identify them."

Danny nodded, reaching for the small yellow tablets he'd put back in the vic's pocket, holding them in his flat dirty palm as Steve snapped a photo and sent it off with a message.

Dropping his hands, Steve turned his full body. "You okay?"

"I feel better knowing they're looking, but otherwise." Danny shook his head.

"They'll have us out in no time Danny." Steve reassured, squeezing his knee again.

Danny nodded, though whether it was out of agreement or gratitude for the lie, Steve didn't know. All he did know was he was one step close to getting Danny home. "So I was thinking…"

"That'll be a first." Danny scoffed, his head toppling sideways onto Steve's shoulder.

"When we get out of here, we could take Gracie out."

Danny narrowed his eyes at Steve, his face tight in that uncertain way Steve had seen when Danny had first introduced his daughter to Gaby. "I… - I'm not…"

The conversation was interrupted by Steve's phone.

__McDanno__

The past hour had mostly consisted of fielding calls from Catherine and Max, but Steve hadn't forgotten the conversation he'd begun with Danny. He understood his reluctance. – Okay, understand was the wrong word, expected was more appropriate. – But he just wanted to spend the end of a really crap day with his two favorite people. It wasn't like Steve was asking him out on a date, he knew Danny wasn't ready for that, they hadn't even had that talk yet.

Filling the can he'd found among the rubble, Steve carried it back, perching on the flattest slab of concrete he could find opposite Danny, holding it out to him.

"I'd prefer not to drink toilet water."

Steve rolled his eyes. "It may be toilet water and not from a fresh mountain spring okay, but it's _not_ sewage. Its drinkable Danny, take it."

Reluctantly Danny took the can, cringing as he looked at it.

"Don't look at it, it's over a 100 degrees down here, if you want to live drink the water." He snapped, rubbing wearily at his eyes as his partner finally raised the can to his lips.

"Ah, that's awesome."

Steve lifted his gaze to fix on Danny. "So… - Are we gonna talk?"

"About?" Danny said dumbly, not meeting Steve's gaze, tossing the can aside.

"I don't know, the weather." Steve scoffed. "About why you're suddenly reluctantly for me to spend time with you and Grace."

"I didn't say that." Danny argued.

"No, you didn't _say_ anything. – Look Danny if you don't want….this…" he waved between them. "…that's fine. The balls in your court buddy, I just don't want it to ruin our friendship."

Danny dragged his hand down his face almost angrily. "Neither do I, that's the point." He sighed.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning…" Danny took a breath, shaking his head. "I'd rather not lose my best friend over a drunken roll in the hay."

Steve inhaled sharply, his heart pounding. He'd told himself he wouldn't mind if Danny didn't want this to go any further, that he'd understand, that he'd rather have Danny as a friend than not have him at all. It was easier said than done. "That's what it was? A drunken one night stand?" he demanded, his voice dangerously calm. He'd fooled himself, again. This wasn't going to be easy.

Danny opened his mouth to answer only to be cut off again by a video call. Steve shot Danny a hard look that said the conversation wasn't over as he got to his feet, hitting the screen. "Hey."

" _Hey Steve, we can't get to you where you are. Rescue says you guys are gonna need to get to the mechanical room, thirty yards from your current position."_ Catherine informed him calmly _._

Steve looked over at Danny, moving back to join him, tilting the phone so he could see.

" _If you can get there we can pull you up through a ventilation shaft."_ Grove added.

"Oh good, the escape through the vent trick, that's the plan? That's what we're gonna do? Great."

" _It's our best shot."_ Grover replied.

"Okay, what about the part where we're not supposed to touch anything or the whole thing could cave in on us?"

" _That's still true, so please be careful."_ Grover pleaded forcefully.

Steve rubbed a hand over his jaw as he watched Grover disappear from view.

" _Steve?"_ Catherine called just as he was about to end the call.

"Yeah?"

" _Uh…someone here wants to talk to Danny."_ She glanced over her shoulder then back to Steve, her brown eyes almost apologetic and regretful. – And a tad angry.

Steve frowned, then took a deep breath when Amber came into view, his gut tightening painfully, as if he was the one who'd been impaled with an iron rod. He forced a smile as he got to his feet, thrusting the cell at Danny's face and marching off, putting as much distance as possible between in their current surroundings and deciding to start looking for a way to the mechanical room.

It was hard to concentrate as he listened to the woman's voice, as she called him Jersey and he told her she looked great. Steve's fingers curled into his palm as Danny apologized for not calling that morning and Amber joked and teased light heartedly. He ground his teeth at Danny's laugh and almost broken them when she offered to collect Grace from school.

"Ah…thanks but she doesn't know you so she won't go with you." He apologized.

" _Right."_

"It's not personal." Danny reassured quickly. "But we've had a couple of….bad past experiences and well…." He shrugged. "If you could ask Catherine?"

Steve steadied his breathing, forcing himself to stare at the wall of rubble as Danny continued to talk, as he reluctantly asked Catherine to call Kamekona to collect his daughter. He was shoving concrete out of the way, forcing his attention on his work because it was beginning to make him sick listening to Danny with his 'girlfriend'.

He was so caught up in finding a way out that he jumped at the feel of Danny's hand on his back. He didn't look around, simply stiffening and waiting for his partner to speak.

"What do you need me to do?"

The first thing that filled Steve's head was how he needed Danny to say he wanted more, he wanted them. "Just…relax till I've moved this, the last thing we need is you bleeding out." He said flatly, wrapping his fingers around a large slab and pushing at it. Losing himself in the manual labor, praying the ache in his chest would go soon. – While knowing it would be there forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never did like the fact that Danny sent Amber to collect Grace. It felt wrong. Sure Grace knew Amber was…connected to her dad, but I don't think walking in on his hook-up constitutes a meeting, especially considering the way Danny is when it comes to Grace. – And considering what happened with Danny's ex-partner, I don't think the school would just let Grace leave with anyone. I'd assume that in case of emergencies, the school has a list of people who are allowed to collect Grace, I'm pretty sure Danny didn't put Amber's name on that list the same morning his daughter walked in on his half-naked would-be girlfriend.
> 
> And why the hell hadn't Chin or Kono thought to collect her. – Or at least call Kamekona. They surely knew it was all over the TV and that Grace was bound to hear about it, some Ohana they are.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I had this chapter done days ago, but then I was reading through it and realized that the conversation between Steve and Danny didn't work. I'd had them have the talk at Danny's place, but then I realized that actually due to Danny's injured he'd have probably been kept in overnight, at the very least. So I had to rewrite that whole scene, and that's why it's been a bit of a wait for this final chapter. Yes I said final, but don't worry, I plan on continuing their relationship in follow-up stories.
> 
> Once again, episode dialogue used.

"You ready?" Steve asked breathlessly as he moved the final large slab out of the way, it was a small opening and there would undoubtedly be more to move along the way. He was also aware the tight space would make Danny anxious but he couldn't help that, it was their only way out.

He turned to see Danny standing over him. "Let's just do this."

"Okay." Steve nodded, crawling cautiously through the gap, listening to Danny's breathless moans behind him as he followed.

They made it as few meters before they reached another blockage. "We work together, we get out of here." Steve said coldly. "Help me with this." He shifted to get a better handle on the lump of steel.

"Worst game of Janga ever." Danny grumbled as he helped Steve shove the metal aside.

"You okay?" Steve checked as the steel and rubble shifted, leaving a gap.

Danny pressed his hand to his side. "Fine."

Steve paused, watching the pain dance over his partner's face for a minute, part of him considered taking a break but he needed to get out, needed fresh air and time to think, tome to accept the decision Danny had made. He wouldn't go back on his word, he'd promised things wouldn't change and they wouldn't, that didn't mean he didn't need time to put the walls back up, the once he'd built four years ago and Danny had torn down with one kiss. "You okay to keep going?"

"Yeah." Danny grunted, twisting to continue crawling.

Steve dropped his gaze as he followed, Danny's ass in his face like a cruel joke. The silence was thick and deafening between them, suffocating tension. He wasn't sure if he was regretful or grateful when Danny broke it.

"Did you tell Catherine?"

Steve looked up, his eyes narrow. He could pretend not to know what Danny meant but what was the point. "She figured it out. She saw the marks on my neck." He hated how cold and distant his voice sounded to his own ears. He and Danny had never been so cold towards one another, not even when they first met and Danny punched him in the face, it felt wrong. It hurt more that the scratches and bruises on his body.

"That wasn't what I asked." He snapped.

Steve met his furious gaze in the dim light, unflinching. "Wasn't it?"

"No, Steven, it wasn't."

Danny huffed angrily before moving forward again.

"She's pretty." Steve announced for a reason he couldn't quite fathom. "Amber. You can tell she cares about you."

"Now is not the time Steven." Danny growled, stopping again to collapse against a foundation.

"I was just saying…"

Danny sighed despairingly. "It's not gonna last Steve."

"I'm sure you and Amber will be…"

"I'm not talking about _Amber_." He glared. "Eventually I'm going to screw it up and I've got too much to lose when I do. – I can't rearrange my life again Steve. I _won't_. It's better if we just pretend it didn't happen."

Steve froze, staring at his friend's profile and swallowed thickly around the lump that had found its way into his throat.

"It's not in my DNA to be happy." Danny grunted, forcing himself to move again.

"Danny…"

"No, it's true." Danny insisted over his shoulder. "There is something wrong with the way I'm built. I can't, uh, I can't just enjoy happiness." He stopped, breathing heavily and falling back against the wall once more.

Steve moved closer, his hand touching his partner's shoulder for the first time in over an hour. "You don't think you're being a little hard on yourself?"

Danny met his gaze determinedly. "No, I don't. – When I was a kid, my parents would go out to eat dinner. If they were late coming home I would imagine that they died in a car wreck, just if they were fifteen minutes late. I used to talk to God and beg him please, take my dad but not my mom, 'cause I can't live without my mom." Danny began to move again. "Every time something goes good in my life I think about when is it gonna end, that's all I can think about."

Steve frowned. "For real?"

"Yeah."

"That's not normal."

"I know that's not normal. Listen to this…" he laughed humorlessly, twisting around to sit again the wall, his eye meeting Steve. "…my wedding day, I'm looking at Rachel, just about to say I do and all I can see is the day she serves me with divorce papers. No joke. I don't know, the only day of happiness in my life so far is Grace, you know and it's only a matter of time till she turns eighteen and she's out the door, marries some shmuck, I don't know." He sighed, rubbing at the dirt and sweat coating his face.

Steve inhaled as he moved closer. "You can't live like that." He murmured quietly. "Whether it's me or Amber or…someone else, Danny, you've got to stop thinking like that. You've got to change."

"I'd like very much to change but it's not that simple, you know?"

"It can be, alright." Steve said firmly, squeezing his friends shoulder. "Start small, instead of fixating on how it could go wrong, how you're gonna get your heart broken, how… _someone's_ going to destroy your life, think about how good it feels waking up next to someone, that great feeling you get when you see them for the first time or the hundredth, billionth time. Think about the good stuff and push through. Stop listening to the fear Danny. You do it every day when you strap on that gun and badge and step out your front door, you know all the bad that could happen but you go anyway because the good is better, right?"

Steve met Danny's eyes pleadingly. He wasn't pleading for them, he was pleading for Danny, for him to allow himself to be happy. That's all Steve wanted, all he'd ever wanted. Danny was his best friend first and foremost, that was all that mattered in the end.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot." Danny whispered, his eyes boring into Steve's.

"What?" he frowned, surprised. He had never expected Danny to be so easily persuaded, it seemed…uncharacteristic.

"I said, I'll give it a shot." Danny pushed himself back onto his hands and knees and began to move. "If I make it out of here alive, we'll give it a shot."

"We will?" Steve gapped.

Danny glanced back over his shoulder with a smile.

"Who are you and what have you done with my partner?" Steve laughed, his heart skipping at the smile on his partner's lips.

__McDanno__

Steve lifted his head when he was sure the rubble had finished falling, he blinked the dust out of his eyes as he straightened, pushing himself off of his partner. Instinct had him diving to protect Danny the second the ground had begun to move around them. Thankfully they hadn't been buried alive, there was just an extra layer of debris surrounding them. "Danno?"

"Fine." Danny coughed. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" Steve asked, pulling his friend up and quickly checking him over.

"Yeah, a few more bruises but I'm good. You?"

"Fine." He smiled before looking at their prison of rubble. The opening they'd been heading towards was gone. Steve scrambled quickly past Danny and began to push at the concrete. "No good, it's too heavy." He grunted breathlessly.

"You know, I'm finding it really hard to stay positive here."

Steve shot him a look before scanning their surrounding for anything he could use to dislodge the barrier.

"What you looking for?"

"I'm looking for that." Steve pointed, his eyes locked above his partner's head. "You see that piece of pipe hanging over you, Danny, break it off and seal off one end for me." He reached into his tac-vest for a grenade.

"What you gonna do with it?"

"This slab of concrete, I'm gonna blow it up." He stated matter-of-factly, working the explosive out of the grenade.

"You're gonna what? How does that end without both of us dying? You blowing something up?"

Steve laughed as he dismantled his lighter, listening to Danny bashing at the pipe with a stare. "It's a directional charge, floods the energy in one direction, anything that's behind it theoretically is reasonably safe."

"Nothing about what you just said sounds reasonable. – That's the best I can do." Danny handed over the pipe, his fingers brushing against Steve for a brief, electrifying moment.

Steve meet the other man's concerned and somewhat fearful gaze and he smiled, nodding reassuringly. He turned to slide the pipe into the small gap in the rubble.

"Is this gonna work?"

"I don't know" he replied honestly, shrugging. "Okay back up."

"Hold on, before we do this I want you to know one thing." Danny held Steve's gaze, his lips curling softly. "Whatever happens, I really, really from the bottom of my heart…hate you so much."

Steve couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I love you too Danno."

"I guess there are a lot worse people to die under a big pile of concrete with."

Steve smiled warmly over at his partner. "You want to do the honors?"

"No, no, it's your stupid idea, you do it."

Steve took a breath, holding it in his lungs for a moment before touching the flame to the fuse and scrambling away, once again throwing his body over Danny, forcing him back, a couple of seconds before the thing exploded behind them, sending yet more debris into the air.

__McDanno__

Steve blinked as he broke the surface of the hole, squinted at the suddenly too bright light. He closed his fingers around Grover's wrist and allowing the men to pull him the rest of the way up. It took him a moment to find his feet, stepping away from the hole, his eyes landing on Catherine who was looking up at him with watery eyes filled with relief. "Thanks Cath." He smiled warmly. He hadn't expected the tight hug she gave him, especially considering everything.

"I'm glad you're okay."

He squeezed her back before stepping away a second later to instantly find Chin delivering an affectionate bro-hug, then it was Kono's turn.

"Good to see you, boss." she said happily, her voice rough and wet.

"You to. Where's Danny?"

"Ambulance." Chin nodded.

Steve walked away without another word, his focus solely on his partner, his heart pounding against his ribs. He was a few feet from the ambulance when he saw her, Amber, rushing towards him. Steve instantly ground to a halt, his eyes lazar focused on the pair as she leant over to press her lips to his. The bottom fell out of Steve stomach instantly, his lungs collapsing. So Danny had lied, when he'd said _they'd_ try…he shook his head, swallowing the acid taste in his throat. A second later a familiar call rang out and suddenly there was Gracie, rushing towards her father and Steve found himself walked again, his trembling hands hidden in his pants pockets?

"Hey monkey." Danny groaned, as she hugged him. His eyes closing as he savored the warmth and pain.

Steve stopped beside Amber, turning an experienced false smiled on her. "Hey, again."

She smiled back at him warmly and guilt shot through his gut. "Hi. Steve, right?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah. Amber."

"Uh, Amber, could you give us a second?"

She looked between them before nodding and walking away, leaving the two alone with Grace.

"Hey Gracie." Steve sighed, hoping to distract both him and Danny from whatever the man wanted to say.

Grace drew herself away from her father reluctantly, turning to look up at Steve, her lips curving in a soft watery smile. "Hey Uncle Steve." Then she was on him, her arms tight around his waist, her face pressed into his dirty shirt.

Steve hugged her back tightly, bowing to press a kiss to her head, tears burning his eyes. He'd survive Danny's rejection, if only so as not to hurt Grace.

"Gracie?"

"Yeah, Danno?" she looked up, her arm still tight around Steve's waist.

"Could you go wait for me at the ambulance, I just need a word with Steve."

She didn't so much as bat an eyelid as she nodded, smiled up at Steve, giving him a final hug and then vanished.

The second she was gone Danny focused solely on Steve, blue eyes meeting blue eyes in an intense stare. "So uh…I guess…we, uh, need to have that talk."

Steve's stomach cramped. "Its fine, Danny." He glanced over to where Amber was talking to Grace. "I just want you to be happy."

The shorter man stared up at him from the stretcher, two EMT's hovering too close not to be eavesdropping. "I think I want that too." He murmured and Steve forced a smile, ignoring the pain. "But first I think I need to get this probably stitched up." He gestured to his side.

"Yeah." Steve nodded. "I'm…happy for you Danny." He said only half lying. – He was happy for him, he just wished _he_ was the one Danny was going to try and make it work with. He reached for his friend's wrist, giving it a too brief squeeze, his smile tight and forced. Then he was stepping back and waving for the EMT's to continue taking Danny for medical treatment.

Their eyes remained fixed on one another as he was wheeled away, even as Danny was lifting into the back of the ambulance, Grace and Amber climbing in with him. Steve didn't so much as blink until the doors shut. The perfect conclusion to the whole sorry forty-eight hours.

__McDanno__

Steve couldn't believe it was all about his mother, _again_. Danny had almost died because of what his mom had done in her deep dark past. As horrific as it sounded, as bad as it made him feel, part of Steve wished he'd never found Shelburne. Her return to his life had brought nothing but anger, pain and destruction.

His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he made his way through Honolulu on his trek home. His lonely, cold and _empty_ house, where he'd fall into bed _alone_. He was just considering calling Chin and Kono to find out if they wanted drinks when his cell rang. A spark of worry shot through him at the sight of Danny's name and he quickly hit the hands free. "Danno?"

" _Hey, Babe."_

"What's wrong? You okay?"

" _Other than the hole in my side, I'm wonderful."_

Steve exhaled the breath he'd been holding painfully in his chest, his shoulders relaxing. "So why you calling?" he trailed off as his voice tightened. He wasn't ready to talk about Danny's decision yet, tomorrow, after a full night's sleep and a couple of beers.

"I was calling…" Danny said, seamlessly slipping into the silence Steve left hanging. "…to ask if you could grab me some stuff, they're keeping me in."

Steve winced. Of course they'd keep him in, he had a hole in his side. "Huh, sure. Of course." _It's what friends are for, right?_ "I'll drop by your place now, I'll be there in about twenty, okay?"

" _Great. Thanks, babe."_

"No problem, buddy." _It's what friends are for_. Maybe if he said it enough, he'd forget that they could have been more.

The line went dead, leaving Steve in silence. He could do this, he could go back to Danny's place, could walk into his bed room, that probably still had crumpled sheets from that morning. Could inhale the stale scent of sex. He could do it, because he had to. He was a SEAL, he knew how to disconnect from a situation in order to survive a mission. It could be done.

__McDanno__

He parked as close as he could to the hospital entrance so he could make a quick getaway, yanking the bag out of the backseat. As predicted going back into Danny's house, knowing they'd never be there together again, had hurt in the worst ways imaginable. He'd overestimated the room still reeking of their previous night together but he'd been right about the haunting, gut wrenching sight of tangled bed sheets. He'd moved around Danny's room like he was searching a target's flat and they were on their way to intercept him. He'd been quick and methodical. Clothes, wash-bag, towel. All shoved into a bag. He'd escaped the scene with the minimum of exposure, yet had still received contact burns.

Locking up the Camaro, he white knuckled the bag and marching determinedly into the hospital. He'd drop the bag off with Danny and then leave. Leave Danny with Amber. Leave them together. – He swallowed the angry lump in his throat, it was his own fault really. He should have listened to his 'friend' Fear and kept his distance, kept pretending he wasn't in love with his best friend. – This was exactly what he'd spent years avoiding, the vulnerability, leaving himself open to this kind of pain and humiliation.

He rushed through the corridors after pausing long enough to get a room number from the front desk. _Drop the bag off and leave, don't linger to talk_. He told himself firmly. _It'll only make it worse if you linger._ So stepping off the elevator, Steve marched toward 501. He took a deep breath, reached for the handle and froze. Suddenly it was three years ago, sudden all he could see was walking into that room and seeing Danny with Rachel in his arms, looking up at him like it was the most natural thing in the world, with a wide happy smile on his face, completely oblivious to the crushing heartbreak the scene had inflicted on Steve.

Steve's heart hammered painfully against his ribs, stealing his breath. He'd been lucky, he hadn't broken anything in the cave-in. He'd gotten out with a mild concussion and a few scraps and bruises, but right now, stood in front of Danny's hospital room it felt like his whole chest cavity had been crushed. He swallowed, taking a small step back and inhaling, fighting to fill his lungs. He stared at the door for a long moment, then down at the bag in his hands and then glanced down to the nurses' station. He could give the bag to one of them, they could take it in to Danny and he wouldn't have to relive that pain again. – Only worse because this time, he knew Danny felt _something_ for him. He just…didn't _want_ him.

He took another step back, twisting on his feet to start towards the end of the corridor when the door opened and he turned, eyes wide with surprise and horror. It took him a few second to realize it was Kono staring at him and not Amber or Rachel, her brow raised curiously and her lip curving warmly.

"Hey Boss." She smiled.

Steve straightened his shoulders and moved cautiously forward. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Danny asked if I'd take Grace for the night."

Steve frowned. "Oh." Usually Danny would ask him, it wasn't like he hadn't done it before. He was obviously trying to put some distance between them. Steve had said he wouldn't leave Gracie if they didn't work out, he hadn't considered Danny taking her from him.

"Hey Uncle Steve." Gracie grinned, her eyes shining.

"Hey Gracie. You okay?"

"Yep." She popped. "I'm staying at Kono's tonight. – Are you staying here with Danno, like last night?" she asked, her lips quirking ever so slightly.

"Last night?" Kono frowned, looking up at Steve curiously. So Catherine hadn't called Kono.

"Yeah, Uncle Steve has cockroaches. She slept on our couch."

Steve forced a calm smile and shrugged. "He's crashed on my couch enough, I figured he owed me. So…." He cleared his throat. "Where's the patient."

"In here!" Danny called. "When you're finished blocking the doorway. Gracie needs her beauty sleep and we need to talk."

Kono chuckled, rolling her eyes at Steve as he twisted to let them pass. "He's been bitc…. _complaining_ about you almost getting him kill, again, for almost an hour. Good luck, boss." She laughed, winking at him.

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it." He nodded. "Night Gracie."

Grace paused to give Steve a tight hug, her cheek to his lower chest. "Night Uncle Steve."

Steve didn't enter the room straight away, he stood there watching Grace and Kono step into the elevator, waving a final farewell to them. With them gone he had no more excuses, no more distraction. Squaring his shoulders again and taking another deep breath, Steve stepped into Danny's room, letting the door swing closed behind him. He was more than a little surprised to see the room empty but for Danny, who was lying in bed, a hospital gown covering his toned furry chest and Steve had never been more grateful for anything in his life. The memory was bad enough.

"About time you found your way in here. I'm the patient you know and considering I'm here because of you, I'd think a little more hast is called for."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Sorry Danno." He sighed, placing the bag on the chair in another haunting moment of Déjà vu. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone skewered me with a telegraph pole. How you think?"

Steve slipped his still dirty hands into his pockets and shrugged, his eyes searching the room for any sign of his partner's girlfriend, assuming she'd just popped to the bathroom, but there was nothing. "Where's Amber?" he asked reluctantly.

Danny shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know, she left."

Steve's head snapped around to stare at him with wide astonished eyes. "She left?"

Danny nodded, shifting on the bed, while reaching for the glass of water, winching as the motion pulled at his stitches. Steve was there in a second, handing over the glass. "So Kono say this was all because of your mother." Danny huffed.

Steve inhaled through his nose, refusing to meet his partner's gaze and he pulled up the chair. "Not now, Danny. Please."

"I'm just wondering if I need to take out extra life insurance." Danny hissed quietly, placing the glass closer. "I mean if her old 'friends' are going to keep coming out of the wood work and trying to kill…you."

"I dealt with it." Steve insisted forcefully. "And it wasn't about her, it was about me sticking my nose where it wasn't welcome."

"Cambodia?"

Steve nodded, slouching back into the chair, his head falling backwards, his eyes closed. "But it's done, the guys…."

"Dead, yeah, Kono said." Danny whispered. "You shouldn't have gone there without back-up, it could have been _you_ laying on Max's table tonight."

Steve lifted his head, looking intensely at Danny, his heart clenching at the pale fear he saw in the man's features. "Well, what could I do, my back-up was unavailable." He smiled, trying to lighten the moment.

"Because you put him in hospital." Danny grumbled.

"No, the _bag guys_ put him in hospital. Would he have rather gone to the morgue? No, I didn't think so. So stop bitching."

Danny twisted his head to shoot him one of his withering _I hate you so much right now_ looks and Steve could do nothing but grin brightly at it.

They felt silent again for a few minutes until the tension began to settle once more. "So….what happened with Amber?" he asked quietly, his gaze flickering to the window and the dark sky beyond the glass.

"What do you mean?" Danny frowned, his eyes burning into the side of Steve's face.

"Well, you guys left together." He replied trying to sound unaffected.

"What was I meant to do, dump her in the middle of a disaster zone after she'd been there waiting for me, worried sick?" Danny huffed, unamused. "It was bad enough doing it in a hospital room with nurses coming in and out." He sighed warily. "I hate being the dumper."

"You ended it?" Steve gaped, surprised.

Danny's eyes narrowed. "Of course I ended it." He snapped. "Isn't that what you wanted?" his voice dropped, his tone uncertain.

Steve met his partner's tentative gaze, shifting forward on the chair. "Of course. – I just…" he shrugged, dropping to stare down at his hands. "I – I just… _assumed_ you'd chosen…her. - You didn't say anything."

"I believe I said we were going to give it ago and frankly after what happened last night and this morning, I would have through that was enough. I didn't realize I had to take out a double page spread in every newspaper!" he snapped angrily.

Steve dropped his gaze shamefully, his thumb nail scraping at the dirt on his other hand. "I…I was hoping for a billboard." He laughed, trying to defuse the situation.

"Not funny right now Steven. I can't _believe_ you'd think I'd sleep with you and share my inner most fear and then go back to the woman I've only know a couple of months." He growled, shaking his head with disgust. "Maybe this isn't going to work after all."

"No, Danny." Steve snapped, shooting forward and grabbing his partner's arm. "Don't, don't say that. Look I'm sorry okay, I just…" he shrugged. "We were drunk, and well you were…I figure you probably horny, and this morning we were still…"

"Stop!" Danny snapped furiously. "Just shut your month before I _deck_ you." He pushed himself up right on the bed, his eyes blazing with indignation, not caring about the pain that shot through his side. "I _wasn't_ drunk! Some of us can hold our liquor and while I may have hoped my night was going to end like that, I wasn't so desperate to get laid that I'd jump the first person that happens to be around." He growled, his face reddening. "And I _certainly_ wouldn't risk utterly destroying my life by screwing my best friend unless I was _damn_ sure I wanted it!"

Steve stared at Danny surprised, his heart hammering in his chest, his fingers tightly curled around one another. "I…"

Danny exhaled as he twisted back against the pillow. "Two and a half years, Steven."

"What?"

"That's how long I've been wandering around with you under my god-damn skin, two and a half fucking years. – I certainly wasn't expecting it." He shook his head, hands flapping around anxiously, not looking at Steve as he rambled on. "From the moment I got that call from Jenna telling me you'd been captured by Wo-Fat. My entire world felt like it was ending. The last time I felt like that was when Rachel told me she was taking my little girl away. – I didn't care that she was leaving me just that she was taking Gracie." He breathed in sharply. "I almost lost it. All I could think about was you dead." He shook his head.

Steve swallowed thickly, he hadn't even allowed himself to imagine that Danny had felt anything more for him than friendship. "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Danny looked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Why didn't you?" he countered.

"I didn't think you were interested. I'm not exactly experienced at reading signals, at least not those kinds, not that you were giving any off. – Unless bitching at me endlessly is you're way of flirting." he laughed, smirking at his partner. Then his smile slowly began to fade to shock. "No." he shook his head disbelievingly. "Seriously?"

"It's called banter, you didn't notice I do the same thing with the woman I date?" he raised a brow questioningly.

"I…no. You never…bitched at Gaby the way…."

Danny shrugged shyly. "Well I wasn't all that into Gaby. I mean, I liked her and it was nice having someone but…" he looked at Steve harshly. "I only started dating her because _you_ forced me to. – And don't look at me like that McGarrett, you've spent the last five years in a relationship with a woman…"

"We weren't in a relationship." Steve interrupted insistently.

"Right, right. It was a mutually beneficial agreement." He scoffed.

Steve glared at him, pushing himself out of the chair and marching over to the window, his arms folded defensively.

He stared out over the hospital parking lot, into the distance, the dark indigo sky still holding onto the last rays of sunlight as if scared to let them go for fear of them not returning. He could relate. "So…" he breathed out quietly. "You've been flirting with me for years." He tried to sound lighthearted but somehow he failed, the observation ringing with uncertainty.

Danny huffed. "Unintentionally at first. – I didn't realize I was doing it, I didn't realize I liked you like that. – I might have been more self-aware if I'd thought for a moment that you were playing for the other team, but I hadn't a clue. You don't exactly ooze gay. It never once crossed my mind."

Steve glanced over his shoulder. "You're not exactly glowing rainbow colors either, babe." He scoffed. "Besides, as we established last night Danny, the correct description for my team would be Bisexual. I sleep with women, I just prefer…or at least, I always thought I'd prefer to be sleeping with guys."

He watched Danny's eyes widened almost comically. "Wait, do you mean to tell me you've never…? – With a guy?"

Steve flushed and turned back to the window, his spine ridged. "I never had the opportunity okay. I went from high school to the Army/Navy Academy to Annapolis into the Navy, I didn't have that option." He glanced over at Danny's curious, surprised face. "I…fooled around with a guy in high school but it never went furthered than third base, then mom…" he shook his head. "It didn't mean anything and I never…"

"Wow." Danny gasped, shaking his head. "So last night was… was your… _wow_."

"It's not like I was a total virgin Danny." Steve whispered, rolling his eyes. "Are you saying you weren't?" Danny swallowed convulsively, his eyes flickering off away from his partner. Steve felt a blazing ball of jealousy ignite in his stomach. "Danny?"

"Billy." Danny whispered, his fingers curling around the blankets, his eyes lowered.

"Billy?" Steve frowned, confused. When Danny looked up at him, hurt and somewhat angry, it came back to him. "Oh, _Billy_. You're…oh."

Danny sighed, settling further back into the pillow, his head rolling back and his eyes closing. "We were just kids." He sighed. "We never…We didn't even get to third base." He whispered sadly. "Barely reached first before he…" he choked off.

Steve turned, setting his ass against the ledge of the window and silently watched Danny, waiting for him to continue. He wanted to go over to him, every instinct screamed for him to but he knew Danny wouldn't want that, not yet. He'd feel babied and then he'd just start pushing Steve away. He needed to say whatever it was he wanted to say before he'd allow Steve to react to it.

"After he...died I disappeared into himself. I – I never let anyone in, always expected them to…" he shook his head. "I didn't even attempt anything with a guy again until college and then it was only ever just sex, I never let myself feel anything for them. – For _anyone_ , not until Rachel."

Steve forced himself to breathe shallow and even, even as his heart ratcheted up at the mention of Danny's ex-wife and previous lovers.

"And then that all fell to shit, like I knew it would. She didn't die and maybe that was because I didn't love her enough, but… - I gave up after that, and then you had to come crashing into his life, turning it upside down until I didn't even recognize what was happening. Forcing your way beneath my skin with your super SEAL ninja moves and making me feel everything I'd tried so hard not to. The day Wo-Fat grabbed you in Korea, it was Billy all over again, it shocked and scared the hell out of me, because those feelings had been dormant for so long I didn't even realize they were there until I thought I was going to lose you." He breathed heavily, rubbing at his chest and swallowing hard. "When I found you in the back of that truck, it was both the best and worst day of my life."

Steve frowned, torn between hurt and confused. "What?"

"I suddenly recognized that gaping hole in my chest, and that it was never going to heal because I couldn't risk…it happening again. I couldn't allow myself… I'd rather have you alive and at arm's length than give in and lose you to whatever dumb ass stunt you pulled. That was of course assuming by some miracle you'd actually want me like that." He huffed angrily.

Steve marched across to the bed, his eyes stinging with unshed tears at the distress in Danny's voice, the fear. Suddenly everything he'd told him that afternoon made sense, it was all so clear now. He perched on the side of the bed, cupping his partner's face in his hands and pulling him in for a soft, lingering kiss. Just a simple press of lips to lips, meant to reassure more than anything. He pulled back and looked into Danny's watery eyes, his thumb rubbing gently at his rough five o'clock shadow. "Danny." He breathed. "I meant what I said down there, you can't let fear control you, you have to face it." He practically pleaded. "I did. I still am."

Danny frowned.

"It wasn't just thinking you weren't interested that kept my feelings for you buried." he took another deep breath and dropped his hands, reaching for Danny's wrist, his thumb rubbing at it gently. "It wasn't even the possibility of losing my career. I don't like feeling vulnerable and _you_ …make me vulnerable."

Danny stared at him, mouth gaping open, eyes wide. "I…What?"

Steve smiled softly at him. "You're my weakness Danny. – I stayed with Catherine because she was safe, because I knew she couldn't really hurt me and I know that makes me sound like the world's biggest asshole, but it's what it is. – But you…" he shook his head. "Since the day I met you I've known you'd get me killed."

Danny scoffed. "I'll get _you_ killed?"

Steve's smile grew slowly, sneaking its way across his face. "Yeah. – But yet, here I am." He grinned brightly. "I faced my fears and now it's time for you to do the same."

Danny sighed softly, shaking his head. "It's not going to be easy, there's a lot at stake if this doesn't work out. Grace, Five-0…."

"We can make it work Danny. We've already survived one another this long." He insisted hopefully. "You haven't lost me yet Danno, and you won't." he promised. "Cause it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not, we've got each other and that's a lot."

A laugh exploded out of Danny's chest followed swiftly by a loud pained groan. "Are you seriously quoting Bon Jovi to me right now? I thought you hated Bon Jovi?"

"Hey, I never said I hated Bon Jovi!" Steve sharply defended.

Danny rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Okay Steve, let's give it a shot." He grinned.

Steve pulled Danny to meet him, kissing him thoroughly until another pained groan clawed its way from Danny's throat.

"But maybe we could start this properly tomorrow." Danny breathed, wincing at the pain in his leg and ribs.

"Sure Danno." Steve smiled brightly. "We can deal with this tomorrow when I get you home."

Danny leant back, eyes fixed on his partner. "Rule number 1, Steve, you are not staying over while my daughter is in the house, you've traumatized her enough for one day thank you."

"So what, I'm never going to spend the night again? Seriously, Danny, she's already seen…"

" _Exactly_." Danny nodded. "I don't want her getting…I just need this to go slow Steve, not just for Grace's sake." He looked up at his partner. "Baby steps, okay? - Step by step, we'll make it, I swear." He smirked.

Steve let out a whole hearted laugh as he got to his feet again and settled himself down in the chair.

"What are you doing?"

Steve shrugged, kicking his feet up on the bed and knotting his finger across his stomach. "Sleeping with my partner." He winked, smirking as he closed his eyes.

Danny rolled his eyes and closed them, listening to the soft sound of Steve's breathing, until exhaustion and relief lulled him off to sleep.

Steve sat watching over his partner, a goofy grin on his face. "Whoa, ho, living on a prayer."

"Shut up, Steve."

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who's read my other works knows I suck at endings, sorry if this is another example of that. Anyway, I hope you liked the story. I have a real obsession Danny's childhood friend Billy Selway being his first love, just because it would explain so much about Danny's personality and why he's reluctantly to start a relationship with Steve. [Oh and please let me know if I've got his name wrong, I'm sure its Billy but…part of me keeps saying I'm wrong.]
> 
> I didn't originally intend to have Steve woo Danny with Bon Jovi, despite the story title coming from a B.J album, but as I was writing it, it just felt like the right thing to do, so I went with it. I have been wanting to write a story using Bon Jovi songs ever since the cargument where Danny starts pouting them.
> 
> Finally, if you're wondering why Steve wasn't taken to hospital too, I decided that after finding out about the CIA guy, he'd brush off the medics to go deal with that and as Danny was already gone, there was no one there to force him to go to hospital and get checked out. Because we all know Danny's the only one that can make Steve do anything, if he really wants him to.
> 
> Anyway, that's it for now. Thank you all for the wonderful feedback and everything. I'm sure I'll have another story in this series soon, fingers crossed. But until then, aloha.
> 
> Gatergirl79 signing off.


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